The ‘King of Violence’ dares ‘The Notorious’ and ‘The Problem Child.’ As the second edition of his Dirty Boxing’s ‘DB2’ concludes, Mike Perry is enjoying his rise as an event promoter. Launched in partnership with UFC legend Jon Jones, the mixed martial artist’s promotion wound up successfully in Miami yesterday. So what’s next? It appears a ring slugfest, albeit under different rules, still tempts the former UFC fighter.

Hints were aplenty during a recent interview with Newsweek. “Let’s go, man,” said Platinum Perry before adding, “I hope that I can get into a fight soon. I think things are coming together, and they’re gonna get me in the ring.” Any particular picks? While interacting with a reporter, the mixed martial artist, who was born in Claressa Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan, suggested a few names. The list included Jake Paul and Conor McGregor.

Mike Perry to Jake Paul and Conor McGregor: Gloves up – let’s dance!

“It’s just a matter of time. I’ll be back in the ring soon, and I’m gonna smash somebody, and I’ll prove my point,” Mike Perry insisted when a reporter caught up with him outside what looked like a resort. But much before he unveiled who he wanted to fight next, especially under ‘Dirty Boxing rules.‘ The reporter asked, “Who do you want to see in Dirty Boxing?” And the first name he mentioned was one of the fastest-rising stars in the crossover boxing scene: Darren Till. “I would like to see me versus Darren Till,” said Mike Perry. But he wasn’t done. The list still had one more name left.

“And me versus Jake Paul,” said BKFC’s ‘King of Violence Champion.’ The last addition surprised the reporter, who probed if he wanted to rematch Paul. “Absolutely,” responded Perry, provided it’s under Dirty Boxing rules, because “I wasn’t allowed to do some with him.”

Later, when checked about his relations with Conor McGregor, who co-owns the BKFC promotion, Mike Perry responded, “He’s always talking sh*t. But you know that’s the name of the game. Like we’re fighters, you know what I mean? We don’t need beef to fight.” Nonetheless, open to a matchup against McGregor, Perry stated, “Everybody wants to see me and Conor fight in Bare Knuckle.”

Mike Perry and Conor McGregor have yet to face each other in any of the combat sport formats. However, last year, as a last-minute substitute for Mike Tyson, he managed to hold his own against Jake Paul till the sixth round.

From the sidelines to the spotlight

Speaking with Newsweek, Mike Perry felt that a longer training camp might have helped him do better against the Ohioan. According to him, the boxing match followed the fight against Thiago Alves at the ‘BKFC: Knucklemania IV.’ And it adversely impacted when he stepped into the ring against an in-form Jake Paul. “I had just beaten Thiago Alves. I had taken some time and enjoyed my life after that big win to go five and, oh, and bare-knuckle and the sport difference, putting on the size. I never fought at 200 pounds,” Perry reasoned. Later, Mike Perry paid a price for the boxing adventure and the Dirty Boxing promotion.

Firing him publicly, Conor McGregor tweeted, “Hey Mike, you’re released, and you can go and compete in your smelly, dirty boxing championship thing. The smell of it—good luck. You’re fired.”

However, The Notorious seems to have undergone a change of heart. “Mike should come home. He still shows love to the game, and we’ll always have love for Mike Perry for sure. And yeah, me and Mike would be a great fight for sure,” McGregor said in a press conference some two months ago.

From last year’s uncertainties, Mike Perry has commendably turned his career around. He’s not only promoting events but also calling the shots with some big names.

Do you think a rematch between Jake Paul and Mike Perry would still make for a good watch?